Blacksmith Cycle

Date

Written By

Comments

We are proud to present our newest super-bike from Bastion Cycles of Melbourne, Australia, purveyors of framesets built using filament-wound carbon tubes with 3D-printed titanium lugs.

Mixing cutting-edge engineering with a hand-built mentality has rushed Bastion to the top of the custom bicycle landscape, so we wanted to do a quick blog post to capture a few things that make the brand unique. Below is Bastion #44, which we built for the incredible Krish L., captured by the boys during a visit to the Tour Down Under.

Next, to jump to our Bastion model page with features and pricing, click here now.

Now, for a behind the scenes look, check out the geometry and engineering reports for our first shop Bastion, #39 built for shop owner Mike, and more photos and specs of Bastion #44. Bastion makes both rim and disc brake bikes, but we went for disc to maximize a Northern Pass-style Fondo geometry with 32mm+ tire clearance and plenty of comfort.

Bastion's geometry and engineering reports have more detail and clarity than most any other custom builder, a mini-revolution in terms of design accessibility, allowing for the customer to better understand (and provide input) into the bike we are building together. For example, while Mike prefers a semi-comfortable bike, Bastion recommended a "Stiff" tube selection given that the relatively tall proportions would create some extra flex. Smart decision, as the bike rides as we hoped it would. This sort of engineering prowess is no surprise given that the brand's founders are former automotive engineers with Toyota.

The design above has been ridden and photographed extensively:Here, here, here, andhere!!

Our take? Bastion has firmly planted themselves in the halo super bike category, alongside Parlee, Argonaut, and a small handful of others. Incredible engineering, gorgeous aesthetics, and a sublime ride quality add up to a package that allows them to go toe to toe with almost any frame builder worldwide.

As for options, for paint and final design, here are some of the choices:

Here are a few glimpses of some of our latest Bastion designs. First a mint and gold number for the amazing W. Cote:

And even crazier? Our latest build is Bastion #68 - a single-speed/track bike to be ridden on the roads of Toronto and later across Canada by the incredible Warrence aka Spyboy. This was a detailed project that shows that a dream bike can take many forms!!

And if you like a little bit of bubble gum pink in your life, our last Bastion project is sure to pop!

Thanks to Ben and James for creating such gorgeous works of art, and be sure to speak to us this Fall season about designing your own Bastion in time for better weather!!